Paramedics Gather Over 600 Signatures

Local efforts were considered successful to get a provincial petition signed in Vernon last week in support of paramedics being made an essential service like police and firefighters.

Upwards of 600 signatures were gathered over two days at the Vernon Square Safeway.

Local spokesman Dean Perry says the support they have received has been phenomenal.

“We had no idea what to expect but we were really quite happy that the general public was really quite supportive and behind us.”

10 per cent of registered voters in each of BC’s 85 electoral districts must sign the petition by April 9th.

Perry says the push will be on over the next month and a half.

“We are still getting everyone together and organized to get out their and gather signatures. Now that the weather is getting a little warmer I think we’ll be doing some door-to-door and finding some other venues to set up at.”

Perry says the 600 signatures were a good start but they are still some 39-hundred signatures short on both the Vernon-Monashee and Shuswap districts.

“Vernon-Monashee is about 46-hundred signatures we have to get I believe and the Shuswap is also about 46-hundred as well.”

Paramedics will be at Fulton Secondary this Saturday for the Silver Star Rotary Save a Life event.